Page 95 of Silver & Gold
Seth’s cheek pressed against Raider’s temple, making fresh tears spill. Fuck.
It would have been easier if Seth had gotten angry. If he’d called Raider an idiot. But this …
“Baby, I’m not leaving you,” Seth said gently. “We can be in a hundred arguments. I’m not leaving you.”
Raider drew a shuddering breath.
“Ever,” Seth emphasized.
Raider tightened his crossed arms. “You still snuck out to hide something from me.”
Seth sighed. “Only the same thing I was doing yesterday. I just didn’t want to argue about it again.”
“Lying is better?”
“No, but …” Seth sighed again. “You won’t listen to me. You keep dismissing me. You won’t trust my instincts at all.”
“I have instincts too, Seth. They just don’t agree with yours.”
Seth groaned and dropped his chin over Raider’s shoulder. “Ugh.”
“So did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes and no. I still need answers. But I’m still sure I’m right.”
“And I’m still sure I’m right, but …”
“But what?”
“But maybe we should start working together,” Raider said. After all, what good had they done by arguing, resisting, refusing to listen to each other? “Maybe we should start asking questions together. Like …”
“Partners?” Seth supplied.
Raider shrugged against him. “Why not? You don’t like that?”
“It’s not that. It’s just … new. But you’re right. You are my partner, Raider. In every conceivable way. I guess I felt like I hit a wall with you and sort of, I don’t know, reverted to my solitary Curator ways.”
Raider reached up and curled his hand over the back of Seth’s head. Seth’s admission loosened the words inside him. “You’re right that I do put my head in the sand.”
“I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t fair. I’m sorry, Raider.”
Raider swallowed around a sudden constriction in his throat. Gods, it felt good to talk to Seth. To be together. Really together. Sex often helped them with that, but it was nice, for once, to learn how to reconnect without it.
This was real—fuck, it was really real. Everything he had with Seth.
Raider took a breath, letting himself soak that in for a moment before asking, “So what do we need to do?”
“I think we need to talk to the only djinn that’s been very open to us. To you, at least.”
“Do you understand that there’s nothing going on between me and him? I have certain questions that I don’t have anyone else to ask. It helps me, Seth.”
“Fuck, you’re right. Goddamn it. I’m sorry I’ve been shitty about it. Of course you have questions. I should be happy for you that someone can help you. I’ve just been so afraid that—” Seth broke off.
“That what?”
Seth pressed his face against Raider’s shoulder. “Don’t make me say it.”
“That he can give me something you can’t?”